London Fashion Week opens doors to public to boost business

September 15, 2013|Reuters

* Industry hopes to boost growth and create more jobs

* Photobooth, guest appearances, flags to woo consumers

* Some in industry sceptical of public involvement

By Li-mei Hoang

LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The crowds at London FashionWeek are usually packed with magazine editors, department storebuyers and celebrities but this season there is a new additionto the pack: the consumer.

Ordinary shoppers have been welcomed into parts of London'smost exclusive fashion event to try to boost the value of theindustry and raise Britain's profile as a fashion destination.

The move is part of the British Fashion Council's plans tochange the way the fashion industry, often seen as mysteriousand elitist, is viewed - with the hope of stimulating growth andadd to the estimated 816,000 jobs in the industry.

"This season we have taken fashion week to the streets ofLondon and rallied support from the whole capital by makingLondon Fashion Week much more inclusive," Council ChairmanNatalie Massenet said in an opening speech on Friday.

"Anyone, all of us are free to come down and join."

Among the ideas to generate a buzz about London Fashion Weekare lining the city's main commercial artery, Oxford Street,with flags celebrating the designers; musical events and guestappearances; and a photobooth linked up to Facebook.

Fashion-hungry shoppers can also snap up items from designercollections, watch live streams of catwalk shows, and buytickets for London Fashion Weekend, held for consumers by theBritish Fashion Council after the main shows.

"It's exciting to see all sorts of events celebratingfashion week and I do think London is just generally cooler thanother cities. It's got the young, hip vibe," 19-year-old studentJulia Glove said outside Topshop clothes store on Oxford Street.

However, not all consumers are convinced by the efforts towelcome the public into the fold.

"I don't know how they expect people to relate to anindustry that is snobby and judgmental," 32-year-old KateHutchins, who works in marketing, said standing under LondonFashion Week bunting.

NOT A PLAYGROUND

Despite a still struggling global economy, British fashionbrands are hoping to cash in on evidence of a rebound in theluxury sector as solid demand in Japan and the United Statescombined with recovery in Europe offset China's slowdown.

Massenet hopes that the excitement generated on social medianetworks will help build on the fashion's industry's 21 billionpound ($33 billion) contribution to British economy.

But not everyone in the fashion industry is happy to sharethe catwalk and champagne world with consumers, as demonstratedby the International Herald Tribune's fashion editor SuzyMenkes' opinion piece highlighting the disdain for the public"peacocking" in their finery outside fashion shows.

"There is a certain portion of the press that would preferit to be kind of secretive but the consumer has shown that theyare really interested," said former fashion editor NavazBatliwalla, who runs the fashion blog Disneyrollergirl.

"It's going to be interesting going forward how much morethey do because obviously you have the old school press thatwant to keep it just to a trade show and don't really like thefact that it is open to the public."

Ken Downing, fashion director at U.S. luxury departmentstore Neiman Marcus, said it was important to remember thatfashion was an industry and a business.

"It's not a playground. This is what we do for work andwhilst it's fun that people want to be peacocks and bephotographed but it should not be the overwhelming reason offashion week," Downing told Reuters.

"Hollywood does not let the mass public into a set whenthey're filming a movie or making a television show. We need tomake sure that the people who are experiencing fashion shows andfashion week are those in the industry, first and foremost,before we start letting in the world." ($1 = 0.6303 British pounds)